Flexible center-button



(ModeL) v1 I.'1E[. BRUCE.

Flexible Center Button.

No. 227,479. Patented Ma /11,1880.-

I nventor. I mornzan HB r11 N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHE|L WASHXNG ONvDV 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

NORMAN H. BRUCE, OF WEST TROY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TOCHARLES F. NORTH, OF COHOES, YORK.

FLEXIBLE CENTER-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,479, dated May 11,1880.

Application filed April 13, 1880. (Model. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN H. BRUCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Troy, in the county of Albany and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Genter- Buttons,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in buttons for articlesof hosiery and To other wearing-apparel.

Heretofore such buttons have been made of metal compositions and othersuch rigid material entirely throughout the structure, and have beenfound objectionable for certain uses,

I 5 not only on accountof the difficulty in passing the outer headthrough the button-holes of an article of apparel, but also for thereason that,

on account of their rigid nature when applied to articles ofwearing-apparel,such as hosiery,

which requires to be folded and then subjected to great pressure toprepare them for packing and for the market, the said buttons,

when constructed of metal or similar rigid material, indent thepressing-boards, render 2 5 ing said boards worthless, or comparativelyso, for further use, whichis a serious loss and inconvenience to thoseengaged in the manufacture of articles of wearing apparel, such ashosiery, shirts, and drawers.

The object of my invention is to obviate these objections; and to thisend it consists in a button the outer or securing head of which iscomposed of an elastic flexible body, the said body having a rigidcentral shank com- 3 5 posed of a short rigid metallic cylinder securedto the flexible head of the button and to the fabric by upsetting orturning down its ends after the manner of an ordinary eyelet. Thesecuring-head of the button as thus constructed 0 and attached to afabric yields inwardly during the act of buttoning upon the part orparts which it is desired to connect together, the body or elasticportion of the head forming a flexible extensible yielding boss orcenter. By

5 means of this elongated flexible and elastic boss a seat for one ormore thicknesses of fabric will be created in rear of the button, theconnection being substantially as effective as if a rigid button wereemployed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents sectional views of my button,showing the flexible and elastic centers made of one and of twothicknesses, the metal rim being partly folded. Fig. 2 representssectional views with the rim fixed upon the flexible and elastic head,with the tube ready to be eyeleted in position. Fig. 3 represents asection of the button secured upon a piece of hosiery. Fig. 4 representsa top view of the same. Fig. 5 represents a side view of the same, thecenter of button being extended and brought to such position by the actof buttoning. Fig. 6 is a side view, showing part of a garment buttonedupon the part carrying the button.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates a button embodying my invention,in which the letter B represents the flexible securing-head, and O thetube or shank by which it is attached to the fabric. In thepresentinstance the tube or shank is represented as consisting of ashort metallic tube secured to the flexible head of the button and tothe fabric through an aperture in each by upsetting or turning down theends of said tube or shank after the manner of an ordinary eyelet.

The head B consists of a disk composed of soft rubber or layers of clothor other textile material cemented or vulcanized together, and providedwith a central aperture, indi-' cated by the letter a, for the insertionof the connecting tube or shank.

' The flexible and elastic head may be composed of the flexible elasticmaterial alone, or may be surrounded by a rigid rim of metal, E, leavingan annular flexible elastic center-piece, 8 5 which serves, inconnection with the metallic tube or shank, to form the extensibleelastic boss, as before mentioned.

The surrounding metallic rim of the button is formed from an annulus, E,struck up out of 0 metal, with a vertical rim, G, the flexible andelastic head or body being fitted within such rim, after which the rimis bent down over the margin of the flexible and elastic head, so as tohold the edges of the same firmly between 5 the rim and the otherportion of the annulus as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The bodyin this instance is secured to the shank and the shank to the fabric inthe same manner as before mentioned; but in lieu of using a tube orshank, the flexible and elastic head will, in some instances, bemanufactured without a central opening, and be connected with thematerial by sewing.

It will be observed that in a button as thus constructed the head, byreason of its elasticity and flexibility, will yield or elongateinwardly by reason of the strain between the shank and head when thebutton is passed through the button-hole of a fabric, and that itwillfurther yield or elongate to accommodate successive fabrics as they maybe passed over and behind the button, the elasticity of the head givingthe button a tendency to draw the parts of the fabric or garment tightlytogether, thus providing a button by means of which one or more garmentsmay be fastened to another and securely held together.

What I claim isl. A button for articles of hosiery and otherwearing-apparel, consisting of a thin flexible and elastic disk having acentral opening for the reception of a tube or shank for securing thebutton in position, the said head forming an extensible, elastic, andflexible boss adapted to yield inwardly during the act of buttoning,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A button for textile fabrics, the same consisting of an elasticflexible disk, the edges being protected by a surrounding continuous rimand adapted to be attached to a fabric or witnesses.

NORMAN H. BRUCE. Witnesses JAMES L. NORRIS, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD.

